Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1990

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agriculture and Extension Education

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter Jr

Committee Members

Roy R. Lessly, Clyde D. Lane

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize the Tennessee beef cattle producers who did not construct or repair any cattle handling facility components during the implementation of the CATCH FOUR program in order to identify program content, target audiences and delivery methods to emphasize in future Extension beef cattle programs. An analysis of the relationships between those selected beef producers' personal and farm characteristics and the number of cattle handling facility components present on their farm was used to accomplish this purpose. The population of this study was the Tennessee beef cattle producers that did not construct or repair any cattle handling facility components from January 1, 1985 to the fall of 1987. The producers had at least 25 beef cows of breeding age. To identify the producers, Extension agents used an up-to-date mailing list of beef cattle producers to select a stratified random sample by applying the nth number technique. The Extension agents were instructed to select 10 producers who since the beginning of the CATCH FOUR program had either constructed or remodeled one or more components for handling cattle. If 10 producers were not available, the agents were to survey all producers who did something to their cattle handling facilities since January 1, 1985. Secondly, the Extension agents were to select 15 other producers who had not constructed or repaired any component of their cattle handling facilities since the beginning of the CATCH FOUR program.

Following the completion of the survey, the data were coded and processed for computer analysis. Computations were made by the University of Tennessee Computing Center. The F-ratio analysis of variance test and the chi square statistical test were used to deter mine the strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The .05 probability level was the point at which the relationship was considered significant.

Major findings included the following;

1. Beef producers had a mean age of 53 years, over 53 percent were high school graduates, 47 percent were part-time farmers and over 50 percent reported the sale of feeder calves as their major source of farm income. The producers exposed an average of 47.8 females to bulls, weaned an average of 43 calves and sold calves with an average weaning weight of 478 pounds. In regard to the type of cattle handling facilities on the farm, almost 36 percent of the producers had all 5 components and 18 percent had no components. Over 78 percent of the producers surveyed had received visits from an Extension agent.

2. Beef producers ranging in age from 21 to 45 years, with college or technical school training, who were full-time farmers and who listed row crops as their major source of farm income had a greater number of cattle handling facility components on their farms than producers who were 46 or older, had less education, were part-time farmers or retired, and listed feeder calves as their major source of farm income. Those producers who exposed 25 to 35 females, weaned 17 to 35 calves, and sold calves at an average weight range of 501 or more pounds had a greater number of cattle handling facility components on their farms than producers who exposed 36 or more females, weaned 36 or more calves, and sold calves that weighed less than 500 pounds at weaning. Those producers who had 9 to 13 total Extension contacts had a greater number of cattle handling facility components on their farms than producers with less Extension contacts.

3. Beef cattle producers who rated economic benefit, safety, labor saving, pride of ownership, have good location, recommended by Extension, and recommended by veterinarian as important reasons for constructing cattle handling facilities had a greater number of cattle handling facility components on their farms than the producers who rated the reasons as unimportant. The beef producers who indicated time, not economical, no suitable location, no materials, no plans available, and no Extension help as important reasons for not constructing facilities had a fewer number of cattle handling facility components present on their farms than the producers who rated the reasons as not important.

4. Beef producers with all 5 cattle handling facility components rated Extension meetings, beef cattle demonstrations, newspaper articles. Extension newsletters, visits from Extension agents, visits to Extension office and telephone calls to Extension office as helpful sources of information about Extension's CATCH FOUR program.

5. Beef producers with all 5 cattle handling facility components were more likely than producers with no handling facilities to vaccinate females for leptospirosis, vaccinate cows/calves for respiratory disease complex, vaccinate calves for blackleg, implant calves, deworm cows/bulls, deworm calves, castrate, dehorn,,permanently identify animals, use horn and face fly control and treat cattle for grubs and/or lice.

Implications and recommendations are also included in this study.

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